Michele Bachmann: Obama “has no clue”; refused to take questions

Rockwell City, IA – Michele Bachmann just killed here deep in the corn country of Calhoun County (two-plus hours northwest of Des Moines). Standing ovation from 80 people after about a 35-minute chat Monday. Nary a word about social issues. No questions from the audience — BUT a hand-over-the-camera snubbing of our own Shaky Hand Productions when we tried to question her…but more on that in a minute.

No, this was a take-down of President Obama. As in “This man has no clue what the problem is.” Plus more of what she’d do — dismantle the EPA (except for “conservation” — we’ll have to see what that means,)overturn Obama care. She riffed off the news of the day — the plunging stock market — which she said vindicated her decision not to vote to raise the debt ceiling. (Applause line.)

Plus, as you can see in this clip – the Waterloo native and 7th generation Iowan speaks to Iowans as one of them, even though she reps Minnesota. She talks like a real person does. And even though we’re a bit dubious about her “titanium spine” riff (Paging Meg Whitman: Bachmann is stealing YOUR “spine of steel” riff!), she’s genuine. She speaks without notes (laugh line: says she’ll outlaw TelePrompters in her Administration), and her voice careens from rah-rah outdoor rally roar to a whisper (“This is a movement.”)

It was the confident voice of someone who sounded like they were going to win Saturday. Unlike Rick Santorum, who told us Monday that he hopes to finish in the “second tier.” Whooo-wee!!

Here’s Bachmann in action in Rockwell City:

Afterwards, she was mobbed by the 80 or so folks at the $50-a-head pork-and-beef fundraiser buffet sponsored by the Calhoun County. But her people declined to let me — and our award-winning Shaky Hands Productions video team — ask her a question. At one point, press secretary Alice Stewart stuck a hand over the lens. And another dude blocked my path from trying to approach her. So I told him I had to get my bag as a way to get around the roadblock….sigh…

All I wanted to do was ask a lame shouted question: What do you think about Gov. Rick Perry entering the race? (He’s going to step on the Ames Straw Poll buzz with a Saturday speech in South Carolina.) But no.

We understand that Bachmann doesn’t want to seen as kissing up to the “lamestream media” over real folks. Makes for good narrative. Especially after the Newsweek cover debacle. But c’mon. One question? All we got to do was see her wave as she jumped on her massive Bachmann bus. We know it’s early. But not a good harbinger if it continues.